LEARNED THE HARD WAY

Mental health notes from someone who thought she was mentally healthy:

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It's never too late to create a problem

Even if you are okay at relationships/managing feelings/communication, in an effort to connect with someone who communicates differently, you can flounder around and develop new negative emotional habits that were never a problem for you before.

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Brainwashing is a double-edged sword

I always sort of prided myself on controlling my thoughts and attitudes, and felt that most unhappy people were failing to guide their mind appropriately. Possibly some truth there, but then I became unhappy too because I never let myself think an unhappy thought and so I pushed back all my negative feelings and never processed them until they became a brimming undercurrent of instability. Pride comes before a fall.

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When you are trying to show unflappable grace and respect to others, sometimes you are actually a doormat

That's basically the whole idea.

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When you are trying to be an ethical pillar and advocate, you are also putting a target on your back

It kills my insides a little when people say to just keep your head down, but if you get hit over it enough times you start to shut the f up.